A Community-led Intervention (DAiLY) Promoting a Heart-healthy Diet and Active Lifestyle: The Yup'ik Way

Summary

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for Alaska Native men and the second leading cause of death (after cancer) among women and Alaska Native people overall. The overarching goal of the proposed multilevel, multicomponent intervention, Diet and Active Lifestyle - Yuuyaraq (DAiLY), is to reduce consumption of highly processed store-bought foods while promoting intake of subsistence foods, healthy store-bought foods, and a more active lifestyle to reduce heart disease risk. The Yup\'ik word Yuuyaraq means 'the Yup'ik way of life' and encompasses a worldview in which living in harmony with the environment, as well as sharing of subsistence foods and traditional knowledge is central. The proposed DAiLY intervention is grounded in the Yup'ik worldview and Indigenous Food Sovereignty, and supported by a foundation of trust resulting from 22 years of continuous Community Based Participatory Research on heart disease risk andprotective factors with Yup'ik communities. DAiLY is a direct response to the intervention research requests of community partners and input from Yup'ik Community Research Associates and a Yup'ik Community Planning Group during the formative research and community engagement process shaping this proposal. The proposed intervention, based on the Warnecke model of health disparities and social cognitive theory, includes three components: 1) home-based workshops, framed in the Yupik worldview, led by Community Research Associates to facilitate interactive discussions with community members about healthy market foods, as well as the health benefits of locally harvested traditional foods and increased physical activity; 2) local food store interventions to increase access to, and help build demand for, healthy food options; and 3) traditional community activities, including Yuraq (Yup'ik traditional dance), Native sports events, and berry festivals, that provide opportunities to increase physical activity. The three components will be supported and reinforced via community media, including Facebook, text messaging and visual materials. A continuous metabolic syndrome score will be used as the primary outcome to assess changes in heart disease risk, and objective stable isotope biomarkers of diet and a validated food frequency questionnaire will be used to measure intake of traditional and market foods. We will test the DAiLY intervention in four Yupik communities, randomized to immediate and delayed intervention. Aim 1, will determine the effectiveness of the DAiLY intervention on heart disease risk by measuring change in a continuous metabolic syndrome risk score (primary outcome). Aim 2, will assess implementation of the DAiLY intervention using a mixed methods process evaluation to determine fidelity, dose, and reach, as well as barriers and facilitators to implementation of program activities and participant satisfaction and engagement. Aim 3, will determine the impact of the DAiLY intervention on community-level outcomes, including access to, and sales of, healthy foods in local stores, as well as opportunities for physical activity at community venues.

Description

Eligibility

Age range

18+ years

Sex

All

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Interventions

• Behavioral
  DAiLY

  The 2-year intervention includes three components, all supported by social media. Home-Based Workshops will be delivered by community members to increase knowledge and skills related to food choices, and to emphasize the importance of physical activity. Emphasis is placed on the benefits of consuming subsistence foods, as well as healthy store-bought foods. Food store modifications will increase access to healthy foods in local stores by working with store managers to stock and promote affordable healthy foods, and will provide participants with opportunities to implement what they have learned in HBWs. Point of purchase promotions, educational displays, taste tests and cooking demonstrations, will identify and promote these foods to community members. Physical activity promotion will include community-wide traditional activities, such as traditional dance, sports events, and berry festivals. Fitbits will be used as a motivational tool for participants to track their progress.

Locations (2)